Obj. ID: 35316
Jewish printed books Safra de-Tzni'ota de-Ya'akov by Ya'akov ben Eli'ezer Temerlas, Amsterdam, 1669
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
Commentary on the Torah written by the renowned kabbalist R. Jacob ben Eliezer Temerls (Jacob Ashkenazi, d. 1666). Known for his great piety and learning, Temerls was born in Worms, but moved first to Lublin and then to Kremenetz, before settling, at a later age, in Vienna. He is reputed to have fasted daily for 40 years, remaining the entire time in the beit ha-midrash.
Title page shows four vignettes from the life of King David, topped by an image of him seated with his harp. For another use of this title page by the same printer, see B. 26 (Amsterdam, David de Castro Tartas, 1680).
The book was brought to press by Temerls’ son, R. Eliezer Lipmann. It is his only published work.
David de Castro Tartas, active from 1662 - 1698, published close to 70 books in Hebrew and a number in other languages, primarily Spanish. He was the son of conversos who came to Amsterdam in 1640 via France where they returned to their ancestral faith. His brother Isaac, having gone to Racife and Bahia, was burned at an auto-de-fe in 1647, refusing to abjure his faith. David learned the printer's craft at the press of Menasseh Ben Israel, working there as a compositor. In 1662 he established his own press, in competition with the already-active presses of Uri Phoebus and Joseph Athias.